Ron Palillo, the legendary actor who played nebbishy yet lovable geek Arnold Horshack on the Gabe Kaplan vehicle Welcome Back, Kotter in the 1970s, passed away this week at age 63.
Chiefly, he was a graduate of the same college as I, the University of Connecticut in Storrs. Many years before I matriculated, he lived in the same dormitory I did, Ethan Allen House, in the Towers section of campus. According to dorm legend, he lived in Room 403, right across the hall from me, in the room inhabited by my very good friend George Feinn, who had a picture of Horshack on his dorm room door to pay tribute. (Mr. Feinn, not surprisingly, is inconsolable at this time and could not be reached for comment.)
Years later, around 1997 or so, I was working on a TV commercial and we brought in some voiceover artists to audition. The casting agent informed me that Mr. Palillo would be coming in to read. He wasn't really right for the part, she explained, but work had dried up for Ron, and he was a sweet guy and a friend, so she brought him in as a way to keep his spirits up. Sure enough, he came in and was gracious and polite. His tone for the spot was way off, and I never met him again, but it was a true honor to be in his presence. I was too starstruck to bring up our UConn connection.
Some dude on YouTube made a sweet tribute featuring Horshack, Hotsy Totsy and of course, John Sebastian's hit theme song.
R.I.P. Ron/Arnold, you are Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! so missed.
nice story. and sad to hear that things went somewhat south for him in the later years. the show opening for Kotter is one of those so indelibly stamped on my brain as a mark of the era - along with Hill Street Blues and Greatest American Hero.....something about hearing them JUST the right amount of times and only during those years. I've watched The Brady Bunch a thousand times more than any of those, but the theme doesn't have quite the same nostalgic punch.
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